Many thanks to the the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers for their generous support of Team Duct Tape. Suncoast SME is a long time benefactor of both TDT and Middleton Robotics at Middleton High School, not just financially, but by including us in their meetings and tours, and encouraging us to share back our team experience throughout the year.

SME was among the first organizations to open its doors to TDT when we began five years ago, and students got some of the first outreach experiences at SME meetings, sharing their season build, CAD and programming work, and welcoming students to the amazing tours they arrange with area industrial and technical facilities.

This evening, we toured the Collaborative Center for Emerging Technologies at St. Petersburg College-Clearwater with them. CCET is an open manufacturing factory work environment  designed to train future engineering technology and manufacturing employees.  The Center includes a Solid Works Design Center and  Additive Manufacturing-Rapid Prototyping, and provides technical certifications for workforce readiness.  In short, it’s an awesome facility!

Thank you, SME, for all you do to help Tampa Bay’s emerging young professionals!